Over a third of consumers of consumers 50 or older say they use a voice-assistant - and the technology is resonating with Baby Boomers in notable ways, according to new research from Think With Google.

Boomers are clearly using their devices for practical reasons. “Obviously it can be integrated into a smart home,” said one smart-speaker owner, who called his “an overall valet for your day-to-day life.”

But the relationship goes deeper than that. “It becomes a device that isn’t a device anymore. It’s an entity in your life that’s always behind the scenes for things you need.” He’s had his speaker for over a year now and “it hasn’t let me down.”

Another owner who’s had his voice-activated speaker for over a year said, “I tend to talk to it as if I’m asking a friend a question.” “I’d call it an ‘e-lative,’” said one person, who’s owned two speakers for six months. It’s “like an electronic relative.”

The cost to hotels for groups and meetings has been on the rise in the U.S. in recent years. According to a report from hotel benchmarking company Kalibri Labs, the cost, if left unchecked, likely will double by 2022.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer has asked the FTC to investigate whether the airline industry is data mining consumer personal information in order to charge them airfares based on things like income and purchasing behaviors.

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